I Tried #FWTFL, Too…Here’s What I’ve Loved & Learned

I have before and after photos I’m really proud of, but we’re not going to focus on those today. I think it’s amazing that people show their before and after photos — and they should be proud of them! When you work hard at something, you want to recognize those results. But instead, I want to focus on how FASTer Way To Fat Loss has made me feel.

I’ve found a new way of approaching eating, and I feel so much better now. I’ve learned to focus on the nutrients that I’m taking into my body, and how those work to fuel me and to burn fat…how good fats are good for you and don’t create fat in the body, and how I actually needed even more protein than I thought throughout the day. I feel like I have a new lease on life, on how I feel in my body and how I approach eating in general.

Do I think I look better now, too? Yes. I’m so proud of how my abs look — and how strong they feel. I thought I had totally lost them after having a kiddo, but it turns out I was just feeling bloated due to what and when I was eating.

Are they perfect six-pack abs? NO. Are they strong-looking abs for my body? YES. Do I still default to seeing what’s wrong with my body? YES. Am I getting better about loving my body? YES. All of these things, all of this together, it’s all where I am right now. I found this program after Scotti tried and shared her experience on the blog last year, and that same approach has helped me so much. I hope that sharing some of my experiences with this program will help someone else, too!

#FWTFL, The Details

So, now, let’s get on with the lowdown about #FWTFL and what I thought. Like others of you here, I read Scotti’s post and was inspired that she wanted to model healthy eating and a positive body image for her kiddos. That’s what I wanted, too! I wanted to feel healthier and show healthy food and movement habits to Sienna, my six-year-old daughter. I was also intrigued by the hormone-balancing effects of the fasting and wanted to try it out for myself. So I decided to hop on the next round of FasterWay To Fat Loss (the name implies their focus, but I feel like it’s a bit misleading as to how intelligent the program really is, so I’ll keep referring to it here as #FWTFL). I was honestly excited to get things going in a new direction after the holidays, but didn’t know quite what to expect.

How #FWTFL Works

It turns out my coach Cathy (who worked with Scotti, too) is insanely helpful and walks you through every step of the 6-week program with fabulous ideas and advice for switching up your eating and workout habits. You start slowly by implementing intermittent fasting and evaluating how you feel by fasting for at least 12 hours overnight. (The goal is to fast for 16 hours, but I was glad to learn that some women need not go more than 12 or 14 hours; I feel best sticking to 14).

You then move on to tracking your food through a great app called ‘My Fitness Pal’. The nice thing is, that loads of people already use the app, so most of your foods already exist there! Easy-peasy tracking. Cathy helps you set up the app with your information and teaches you all about macronutrients and what you need to fuel your body. I thought I was a protein-fiend before this, but now I realize I need even more protein every day to burn fat and feel good! There are 2 low-carb days each week where you reduce carbs but add in extra good fats to keep you from being hungry, and keep your body and brain fueled.

In addition to learning about macronutrients, you also get access to workout videos for each day of the week. I did some of the workouts and was happy to have them to try out. They’re also mostly under 30 minutes, which is so doable for us busy, badass women who have so much on our plates. Since I already love barre3 so much, I was happy to be able to continue that workout throughout the program and occasionally added some of the HIIT workouts on the low-carb days to take full advantage of fat burning.

What I love about this program is that it’s essentially that — a workshop or session on learning about fasting and macronutrients. There were no bars or powders or gimmicks to buy, only Cathy’s time and expertise, plus access to the meal plans and the workouts for six weeks. The recommended meal tracking app is free, and the meal plans give you great ideas, but you can also easily implement your own (or some of Cathy’s great recipes).

What I Love About #FWTFL

• The sustainability of the intermittent fasting and way of eating.

• The access to a knowledgeable coach who is kind, and gives great food ideas and suggestions.

• That I stopped feeling bloated almost immediately! You avoid gluten and dairy if possible through the program, and I felt so much better.

• Thinking about fueling your body instead of focusing on exactly what you can’t have everyday.

• That it’s a plan for healthy living and eating, not a fad diet or gimmick.

• That I can still do the workouts I love instead of having to do theirs if I don’t want to.

• That it embraces imperfection…go out to eat and indulge? Just start over the next day, no biggie!

• The snacks and meals I’ve discovered!

#FWTFL: Some Of My Go-To Foods

If you’ve followed me here or on Instagram at all, you’ll know I’m a foodie at heart…I LOVE FOOD. Not only have I discovered some great nutrient-dense food combos I love through #FWTFL, but I also love that when I do go out to eat I can just not worry about it.

Kat was in town visiting for work last night, and we were able to go out to a phenomenal meal together and you better believe I had the Korean fried chicken, the BBQ fried rice and the insanely good curry with burnt ends (yes, I’m talking about you Eem…drool.) I enjoyed myself. I watched my macros earlier in the day so I could leave room for eating out that night, but mostly I just didn’t worry about it.

I know I’ll focus on yummy healthy meals for the majority of this week, and I’ve still seen great results and have felt great with this approach since I started. I didn’t get through any of the weeks perfectly at all, but I focused on changing my mindset about food and that has really worked. It dawned on me that although eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted for the last year or so seemed fun, I just didn’t feel good. Making some changes that are manageable and healthy and smart has renewed my love of healthy foods, but also allowed me to enjoy the amazing dishes all around Portland that I love.

Salads: I am not typically a salad girl, but it is a great way to use leftovers, make something quickly, and get good fiber and nutrients in. My tips for salads: add lots of ingredients, use Everything But The Bagel Seasoning (a favorite of mine from Trader Joe’s), put leftovers on top to make them actually filling, add nuts and seeds, use baby spinach instead of weird lettuce greens you don’t like, use deli meat on top if you don’t have any leftover proteins, use pesto or romesco sauce instead of dressing, use oil & fav vinegar for quick healthy dressing instead of sugary, boring store-bought stuff — homemade dijon vinaigrette always gets me excited for a salad!

Snacks: When I used to eat a paleo diet, omg, I thought I would turn into an almond. I don’t love almonds unless they’re smoked or have some fancy salt on them. But what I do love that is a bit better for you….Roasted hazelnuts. OMG. They’re so good, and I get unsalted roasted and YUM. So, find your favorite nut and snack on that. Now, those Skinny Dipped almonds tho, I CAN. Yes, I can. Those things are GOOD because chocolate. Other favorite snacks include peanut butter fat bombs (taste like rich yet not-too-sweet PB cups), soft boiled eggs with taco seasoning (trust, they’re so good), thin rice cakes with PB & blueberries, bananas with honey and cinnamon on top (can put these on rice cakes, too), Trader Joe’s GF Crispbread OMG, and beef jerky on low-carb days. *Currently taking a break to eat a snack now*

Meals: For most meals, I focus on healthy proteins, veggies and including GF nutrient-dense carbs…sweet potatoes, quinoa, oats, brown rice. A few times I used a brown rice or lentil pasta for myself as a base for our dinner if I was cooking traditional pasta or white rice for my family. If they were having bread or toast with the meal, I’d grab one of the Crispbreads for myself. I think learning what you like to swap out for things you’re avoiding is huge for success — at least for me!

#FWTFL Works For My Needs

This new mindset around food worked SO well for me, and I just wanted to share it. Also, Cathy, the coach Scotti and I both used, is SO nice, helpful and supportive. Sometimes it takes an organized program to catalyze that reset…a different perspective or a little something to mix things up. None of my jeans were fitting anymore, my stomach was feeling just icky all the time, I was working out and strong — but felt like I had hit a plateau because I wasn’t paying attention to what was going into my body. So this helped. A ton. I’m so glad I have this new relationship with food that still leaves room for who I am.

xo,

Laura

You can follow this link to sign up for Cathy’s next session that starts on March 16th, and you can find her on Instagram here for any questions you may have. I can’t recommend it enough if you’ve been feeling like you are in the same boat as I was or need a new approach to tracking your food and making healthy habits. Just announced, there is a sale for new clients! Get $50 off this current round (through March 18th) or the April round (through March 24th) with code STAYWELL!

Hey, friends. Hop on over to follow me on Instagram @laurajansenstyle to see more of what I’m up to in Portland, Oregon. If you want to shop my current pieces I’m loving and wearing, head over to My Closet!

Full disclosure y’all, the session link above is an affiliate link where I get a small commission if anyone joins. But all thoughts and opinions of this program are totally my own, and I planned this review before knowing the link was an option. Thank you for your support on our blog so we can provide an income for ourselves as we continue to offer additional posts on products & services we truly like. Y’all saw my Madewell post. I try to tell it like it is!